Busy but basic. That’s the best way to describe the fifth episode of the final season of THE BAD BATCH.
Busy but basic. That’s the best way to describe the fifth episode of the final season of THE BAD BATCH. We are riding the waves of four amazing episodes. So it is only natural that the story slows down a bit as the season catches its stride and establishes future objectives. The Batch and Crosshair return to that idyllic beach planet Pabu to recharge their batteries and give Omega a nice place to sleep for the first time in over six months.
Pabu is picturesque and beautiful with its mountains, sand, the ocean, and a lagoon. It looked like the perfect place to live. Seeing Batcher play with a group of small green lizard creatures was the vibe. However, the team needs to gather intel, and Crosshair and his former teammates are a bit on edge.
TENSE FAMILY DYNAMICS
In the previous seasons, Crosshair turned against his friends in service to the Empire. As a result, Wrecker and Hunter don’t trust him 100% yet. Wrecker seems to warm up to him quickly. But Hunter is not as trusting and the two quarrel about how much Crosshair knows and why he did what he did. The tension and animosity the two have toward each other fueled the episode. The rest of the story was merely exposition.
Crosshair takes them to that remote ice world where he was stationed and killed an Imperial officer. They plug Nala Se’s datapad into an Imperial terminal to unlock its secrets. So basically, they are jailbreaking an iPhone. But the team goes far further than any Apple store that humanity has ever reached.
A COLD RECEPTION
The ice world base is deserted (convenient), but surprise surprise, there is a giant worm under the ice, and working as a team is the only way to stop it. It was so easy to see that the plot was just an excuse to have Crosshair and Hunter trust each other again. I have spent over twenty years watching and reading Star Wars, and it is very hard to surprise me when they are doing filler episodes. That’s what this episode felt like. Filler.
There was nothing inherently bad with it. It was just basic and somewhat boring. However, I know how good the writing is for this show. I am waiting to see the long game that will undoubtedly be fantastic as the series goes on. I also loved seeing Echo and hope he re-joins the team permanently. Something tells me that it will not happen.
VERDICT
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus now.
FORCE FACTS
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Wrecker says what’s on everyone’s mind. “Why is there always a giant monster” about the ice worm. Yes, this seems quite odd that the galaxy (that has been settled for centuries) has so much megafauna. Yet, this is a remote world, so I’ll let it slide.
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In addition to this giant ice worm, there is a bird species that looks like something out of Pokemon. It also reminds me of the crystal fox from The Last Jedi, with its plumage looking like ice crystals.
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Omega directs Wrecker to power up the fuse box. Wow. Do they still use those? I got a sudden flashback to 5th grade when I read the “journal” of Anakin Skywalker, where he tells his tale leading up to the events of the Phantom Menace. In one of his anecdotes, he remarks how old-fashioned and primitive a fuse box is. It’s quite fascinating that in Canon, though, fuse boxes are still standard use among the denizens of the galaxy. Sometimes I forget that Canon dialed back a lot from Legends on technological sophistication.
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
